Rob Elliot believes it is “tougher” to play for Newcastle United than some of their relegation rivals because the Magpies squad determine the “momentum” of an entire city.

Yet the Republic of Ireland international insists there is enough quality and belief within the Newcastle dressing room to rapidly change the Magpies’ fortunes over the hectic festive schedule.

United’s loss at Arsenal on Saturday was their eighth in nine matches and, given that some of their rivals in the bottom half picked up positive results, Rafa Benitez’s men slipped into the bottom three.

Despite an encouraging second-half display at the Emirates, Elliot accepts that Newcastle are exactly where they deserve to be - but he expects them to end their rotten run of form against West Ham United this weekend.

Elliot, who was recalled to the starting line-up against the Gunners in place of Karl Darlow, explained: “We are there because we have lost the last eight out of nine, so you can’t say: ‘Oh, we’ve been unlucky’.

“We need to make sure that going forward we address it and we make sure we are putting in performances like we did at Arsenal.

“When we play the teams around us, the attitude and the way we played against Arsenal will hopefully allow us to create more chances and we won’t face the quality like [Mesut] Ozil’s strike every week.

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“We need to make sure we take what we had in this match into West Ham, first and foremost. Because if we go in with that attitude and commitment and shape and strength of the team, I think we can turn the results around quicker.

“There were a lot of positives for us definitely, especially in the second half with the way we pushed them back. But we just need to take that forward into West Ham and stop this run we are on because we are in the bottom three.

“Not that we didn’t realise before, but it’s definitely clear now that we are where we are and we need to start battling for results over performances.”

Rob Elliot (Image: Newcastle United)

After the trip to West Ham on Saturday, Newcastle host Manchester City on December 27 and Brighton and Hove Albion three days later, before they visit Stoke City on January 1.

Three of those four matches come against relegation rivals, and Elliot is adamant United can put a positive run together which will alter the course of their season.

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“It’s tough. I don’t think results have always reflected how we have played. But you don’t lose eight games without playing badly,” Elliot replied when asked what the mood was like in the dressing room.

“You have to take it on the chin, keep working hard. We have got a lot of young lads and it’s about trying to keep the positivity.

“It’s just trying to keep believing in what we are doing and what the manager is telling us to do and knowing that we can turn it around.

“To play for Newcastle is tougher than other clubs because you know you carry the momentum of the city and we need to make sure we can use that to end the run and push on.